Have you heard about a dance called Bachata?

Have you seen people dancing to this happy, energetic music from the Dominica Repubic?

Bachata is a great, simple dance that leave lots of room for playfulness and improvisation. It can be very close and sensual, or it can be open and full of lots of complicated turns and footwork. Lots of possibilities exist when dancing bachata, and the best news is that it is easy to start dancing.

What we always say in our blog posts about learning to dance is that you should try and find a local dance school. But,... we understand that many people are shy about starting from scratch in front of a bunch of strangers. So right here in this article we will teach you the basic step so you can practice a little bit before going to a class.

The footwork we will teach is the Leader (men's) timing. Followers typically start moving in the opposite direction.

Start: Start the dance standing with your feet side-by-side, but a comfortable distance apart from each other. Shift all your weight a little onto your right left, so the left is just touching the ground.

One: Step to your left with your left foot on count 'One', making sure your weight is transferred onto the left foot.

Two: Move your right foot to the left, about a foot's width away from your left foot on count two. Make sure your weight is all on the right foot.

Three: Step out to the left again with your left foot, but keep the step a little bit smaller, as you count 'Three'. Again, making sure that your weight is shifted onto the left foot.

Four: Bring your right foot closer to the left and tap it on the ground. Do not place any weight on the foot.

Five: Step back to the right with your right foot as you count 'Five'. Make sure there is no weight on the left foot.

Six: Bring your left foot to the right and transfer all your weight onto it as you count 'six.'

Seven: Step your right foot further to the right as you count 'Seven.' Again, make sure all your weight is on that right foot.

Eight: Bring your left foot beside your right foot and tap it on the ground as you count 'Eight.' Do not transfer weight onto the left foot.

Once you arrive at beat 8, you will be back at your starting position. The whole pattern starts again by stepping to the side with your left foot on the 'One.'

Feel free to practice that pattern at home, with your partner. When you feel comfortable then try and get out there to find a dance teacher in your local area.